Approval and market surveillance of two- or three-wheel vehicles and quadricycles - Approval of agricultural or forestry vehicles (debate)
Phil Prendergast (S&D). – Madame President, the compromise reached with the Council paves the way for a clearer and simpler legal framework for motorbikes. The increased safety requirements are of paramount importance – given the vulnerability of bikers on our roads, who account for a disproportionately high proportion of road accident fatalities – but we also need to be able to explain the advantages of legislative reform to our constituents in a clear and grounded fashion.
Earlier this year, I asked the Commission to provide me with detailed data on our benchmarks on the relative performance of anti-lock braking systems on tar and chip road surfaces, which are estimated by the Irish Department of Transportation to account for 85 % of the total Irish road network. In its response, the Commission simply referred me to its impact assessment which is based on scientific literature and post-accident data.
Needless to say, I read the impact assessment and, had the data been explicitly quoted, I would not have needed to ask the Commission for further information. I must now, therefore, reiterate my request to the Commission to forward such data to me so that I can properly inform my constituents of this proposal’s benefits in terms of safety.